Sega Shakes Hands with China

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Sega announced its entrance into the Chinese game market in its romp toward software dominance.

By IGN Staff

Sega has always aimed high, and now that its can focus its greatest assets -- game development -- the company has made a speedy and aggressive set of moves to commence its software coupe. In the last of its sweeping announcements, Sega heralded that it will enter the Chinese videogame market.

Sega has chosen the Beijing-based partner, Merix Interactive Entertainment, owned by investment Hong Kong firm Hisun Ltd, to conduct business with in China, and its first two games, yet to be named, are for the PC. They're due on June 15. Sega plans to work with Merix to bring Chinese-language versions of the game maker's titles to China and to distribute them through Merix's sales network, said a Sega spokesperson.

Along with dozens of other game manufacturers and publishers, Sega has, in the past, not allowed any of its games to be distributed into China. However, reflecting a more open Chinese government and a willing and slightly vulnerable Sega, the move could prove to bring Sega dominant market share in the country, explained a Sega spokesperson.

"By next June, we hope to have 10% of the Chinese game software market, which is growing rapidly and now has an estimated 19 million users,'' she said.

Perhaps not with two PC games, but with strong games on others systems, it could happen.